Mobile devices may provide a display that appears to be in an always-on state. One concern with an always-on display relates to power consumption and battery drain. A display that is continuously on or easily activated may drain a significant amount of power from the battery. In addition, the mobile device includes a central processing unit (CPU) or an auxiliary graphics processor that processes graphics and display elements for the display. Having an always-on display will consume finite processor resources. The foregoing factors may result in a slower mobile device with an undesirably short battery life. In view of these considerations, it would be advantageous if an improved always-on state feature could be implemented that provided enhanced functionality with regard to one or more of the foregoing concerns or other concerns.